UPCOMING EVENTS

January-February

Great Feast of Theophany

Please plan to attend this second part of the Season of the Manifestation of God this coming Friday, January 5th. If you have a Holy Water container, please bring it as well and refill for the coming year. We’ll also have some bottle available for sale or smaller ones you can take for free.

River Blessing

We will be blessing the river this Sunday following the Divine Liturgy. The plan is to take off right after Church, bless the river, then return to the Church for a cook out and fire. The location this year is only about 10 minutes away on the other side of Elder Mountain. Please plan to join us there!

2510 Raccoon Mountain Rd, 37419

Chrismation, Baptism, and Liturgy

Please join us for the Sacrament of Chrismation before the Divine Liturgy, Sunday, January 21st at 9:00am. We will be celebrating the Service for the Reception of Converts for Stephen Sandoval followed by Divine Liturgy and baptisms of his daughter Charlotte Sandoval and Moses Eldridge. Coffee Hour will follow the services!

Feast of the Presentation of the Lord in the Temple

The Meeting of our Lord God and Savior Jesus Christ is described in the third Gospel (Luke 2:22-40). Forty days after His birth the Divine Child was brought to the Temple at Jerusalem to be presented to the Lord. According to the Law of Moses (Lev. 12:2-8), a woman who gave birth to a male child was forbidden to enter the Temple for forty days. At the end of the time of her purification, the mother went to the Temple with the child, to offer a young lamb, two turtledoves, or pigeons to the Lord as a sacrifice. The Most Holy Virgin had no need of purification, since she had given birth to the Source of purity and sanctity. Out of humility, however, she fulfilled the requirements of the Law.

At this time the righteous Elder Simeon (February 3) was living in Jerusalem. It had been revealed to him that he would not die until he beheld the promised Messiah. By divine inspiration, Saint Simeon went to the Temple at the very moment when the Most Holy Theotokos and Saint Joseph had brought the Child Jesus to fulfill the Law.

Saint Simeon received the divine Child in his arms,1 and giving thanks to God, he spoke the words repeated by the Church each evening at Vespers: “Lord, now lettest Thou Thy servant depart in peace, according to Thy word, for mine eyes have seen Thy salvation, which Thou hast prepared before the face of all people, a light to enlighten the Gentiles, and the glory of Thy people Israel” (Luke 2:29-32). Saint Simeon said to the Most Holy Virgin: “Behold, this child is set for the fall and rising again of many in Israel, and for a sign which shall be spoken against. Yea, a sword shall pierce through your own soul also, that the thoughts of many hearts may be revealed” (Luke 2:34-35).

At the Temple was an 84-year-old widow, Saint Anna the Prophetess, the daughter of Phanuel (February 3), “who did not leave the temple, but served God with fasting and prayers night and day." She arrived just when Saint Simeon met the Divine Child. She also gave thanks to the Lord and spoke of Him to all those who were looking for redemption of Jerusalem” (Luke 2:38). In the icon of the Feast she holds a scroll which reads: “This Child has established Heaven and earth.”

Before Christ was born, the righteous men and women lived by faith in the promised Messiah, and awaited His coming. The Righteous Simeon and the Prophetess Anna, the last righteous persons of the Old Testament, were deemed worthy to meet Him in the Temple.

Annual Meeting

On Feb 4th, 2024 following the Divine Liturgy and during Coffee Hour, we will be having our Annual Meeting to approve 2023’s Annual Meeting minutes, approve the 2024 budget, hear from various ministries, as well as hear about plans for 2024. The meeting will be held in person and questions will be had at the end of the meeting. If you are a member [or a catechumen/inquirer who's interested] please put this on your schedule and make every effort to attend! We need a quorum to hold the meeting.

Pre-Lenten Retreat

We are blessed to be having a pre-lenten retreat with Fr Chad Hatfield this year! Archpriest Chad Hatfield is the Chancellor of St. Vladimir’s Seminary. He came to St Vladimir’s from St. Herman Seminary in Kodiak, Alaska, where he served with great distinction as Dean since 2002. Fr Hatfield holds a Doctor of Ministry from Pittsburgh Theological Seminary. He received his Master of Divinity in 1978 and Master of Sacred Theology in 1988 from Nashotah House Seminary in Wisconsin. Ordained as Priest by Bishop Basil (Essey) of the Antiochian Orthodox Christian Archdiocese of North America in 1994, he is Vice President of the Orthodox Christian Mission Center (OCMC) Board, Co-Chair of the OCA Department of Evangelization, and member of the OCA Board of Theological Education, the Editorial Advisory Board for Christian Bioethics journal and the Kodiak College Advisory Council.

He will be joining us for two sessions on Saturday, and then giving the homily on Sunday. Please put this on your calendar so that you can join us!